This Page is about all of the weapons, lifestyles, customs etc.. of the middle ages
Weapons
Medieval warriors used many kinds of weapons. For example, a knights favorite weapon was his sword. There were many kinds of swords, such as the great sword. Great swords were two handed swords. They were larger versions of the ordinary sword. They were swung with both hands to deliver a powerful blow. Large swords began to become popular in the 13th century. A knight would hang a sword in his saddle in addition to his regular sword.
The shining sword was also a sword used during the 1460's. This sword has a copper gilt crossguard. This was probably made for a rich knight.
Another weapon a knight or a Viking would use was a battle ax. This ax was developed in northern Europe. It was especially popular with the Vikings. It was used used by a well-trained infantry. It could prove lethal to horseman especially when mounted on a yard long haft (handle) and swung with both hands .
A more widely used ax was the pole ax. This weapon was very popular in battle and foot combat. It was used to strike the opponents head (the word "pole" meant head) and the solid hammer-head at the back could knock out a man in armor. There was another kind of ax called the short ax. Knights sometimes used two-handed axes, but the smaller, single-handed variety was easier to use on horseback.
One of the smallest weapons a warrior used was a dagger. Knights did not use daggers very much until the 14th century. Daggers were used as a back up sword; when the knights first sword was knocked out of his hand.
Knights used a weapon called a lance. Lances were long and came in many sizes. They were made of wood and were painted. Maces were also another wooden weapon used by knights. They were shaped like clubs with spikes stuck into them.
Archers used bow and arrows. One kind of bow and arrow is the longbow. This type of bow was usually made of stave or yew wood about the height of the archer himself. It was usually fitted with horn nocks at the top to take the hemp string. War bows probably needed a pull of at least 80lb. , and many have been far more powerful.
Crossbows were another kind of bow. They were introduced in the 11th century, they were made of wood or horn. After shooting, the string was drawn back by the archer placing his foot in the stirrup. He then attached the string to a hook in his belt and straightened his back until the string slipped over the retaining catch on the crossbar of the weapon. The bow was usually shot by means of some kind of trigger.
Weapons were critical for kingdoms. They were extremely important for warriors to protect and conquer other kingdoms
Knights Armor
Knight's armor went through many changes. In the 12th century, the knights used an armor called mail. Mail was very little chains linked together to make one big suit of armor. These suits took on average about five years to make. These suits also took a lot of money to make. When all this work was done it weighed about twenty to thirty pounds and that was only the chest, arms, and back. When they were in battle the mall guarded arrows but not good strong blows with a mace. The armorers took that in consideration and made plate armor. But they only put plate armor in the sensitive parts that could not take as many hard blows.
